Tuesday, August 5th at almost midnight
It's hard to believe that tomorrow night I will be sleeping in my bed, in my apartment, in Hoboken. I love London, miss the craic, yet am ready to be home.
The last 24 hours have been pretty fantastic. Last night I went to the Grange for dinner with Jessie, Gary, Maggie, Matt, Jenny, and Mike. We had a wonderful time over a great meal. Today I met Heather and Aunt Pam for a trip to the National Gallery. Between their combined knowledge of art and medieval history, it was like a professional tour. We stopped for lunch near Trafalgar Square, walked along the river, ate dessert near Covent Garden, walked through the shops from Neil Street to Bond Street, and met Patricia for dinner.
I feel like London is the perfect way to transition from Ireland to Hoboken. There is the diversity of home, the rain (of which there is plenty) smells like the city, and I've eaten American, English, and Spanish in the span of a day. My steak sandwich had butter and the Spanish omelette was mostly potato. It's like the perfect fusion of the familiar and the strangely European.
Walking about London was fantastic because: 1) my cousins are a riot, and 2) it's the perfect blend of memories and new discoveries. I found restaurants and shops from my first visit when I was sixteen, the location where I purchased my first formal suit, the bar where I ordered my first legal drink, the park where Jonathan and I had a picnic last spring, and so on. I also tried new foods and drinks which I cannot find without difficulty in the States.
Don't know when I'll next write. I intended this blog to be a travelogue of my summer experience. I may or may not post updates in the future. We shall see. For now, so long.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Monday, August 4, 2008
London
Monday, August 4th at 5pm
I am wonderfully relaxed. Yesterday, all my cousins and my aunt stopped by. We had a barbeque on the back patio and caught up over the feast. Afterward, we played Wii Fit (I may actually consider getting a video game unit) and really talked. Matt and I spent the evening watching funny youtube vids while Maggie did some work. It was great to be amongst family - so very open, supportive, and fun. I am very happy I came to London and have had the chance to see everyone.
Today was a lazy day. Matt and I discussed everything from space flight to green engineering. Then we looked at different models of laptops for school this fall. I think we found a model that is cost-effective, meets school specs, and isn't too heavy. We then ordered Thai (I love spicy foods!!!) and have been taking it easy. I thought about running about London today but it rains on and off and I can't stress the weather at this point in time.
Tonight there are plans for a family dinner and tomorrow I am going on a family outing to the National Gallery followed by another family dinner. I don't know how I got so lucky!
In other news, I have been attempting to switch my sleep schedule by staying up later and later and waking up later. So far the staying up part is working but the waking part is still too early. Hopefully I can start the jet-lag adjustment here so I won't be a super early riser this weekend.
I am wonderfully relaxed. Yesterday, all my cousins and my aunt stopped by. We had a barbeque on the back patio and caught up over the feast. Afterward, we played Wii Fit (I may actually consider getting a video game unit) and really talked. Matt and I spent the evening watching funny youtube vids while Maggie did some work. It was great to be amongst family - so very open, supportive, and fun. I am very happy I came to London and have had the chance to see everyone.
Today was a lazy day. Matt and I discussed everything from space flight to green engineering. Then we looked at different models of laptops for school this fall. I think we found a model that is cost-effective, meets school specs, and isn't too heavy. We then ordered Thai (I love spicy foods!!!) and have been taking it easy. I thought about running about London today but it rains on and off and I can't stress the weather at this point in time.
Tonight there are plans for a family dinner and tomorrow I am going on a family outing to the National Gallery followed by another family dinner. I don't know how I got so lucky!
In other news, I have been attempting to switch my sleep schedule by staying up later and later and waking up later. So far the staying up part is working but the waking part is still too early. Hopefully I can start the jet-lag adjustment here so I won't be a super early riser this weekend.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Last Day...
Friday, August 1 at 9:41am
I just pictured myself typing the above date and time with the Big Brother voice. Just when my mind had begun making the switch to culturally Irish - I'm ripped back to the US!
Yesterday was in the office. Slept in, played guitar, transferred photos, and did some wiki lessons. Went home, packed, cooked, ate, watched a movie. Not much to share at this point. Saying goodbye to so many wonderful people this afternoon will be difficult.
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Sunday, August 3rd at 12:35am
So this separation has been incredibly difficult for me. I have fallen in love with Donegal. The rest of Ireland is great, but the land and people of Donegal will forever hold a special place in my heart. I'm going to miss the craic, the free-flowing curses, football, properly poured Guinness, toast, and Irish Cadbury (especially when you split a twirl or other chocolate). I've met some all-star people who I hope to see in the future!
I spent eight hours today in Dublin airport after five hours on the bus from Falcarragh to Dublin (I left at 7:25am - 7:10am from the house). I sat next to a Polynesian woman on the bus who smelled like hand lotion and spoke with one of a contingent of twelve Texans. In the airport, I struck up a conversation with a Spanish girl (in Spanish, no less) so that I could leave my luggage for five minutes to use the little girl's room.
After finishing The Servant Leader last night, I began McCarthy's Bar (one of my wonderful gifts) today at the airport. By the time boarding began, I had read 210 out of 372 pages and I'm currently at page 259. Some accurate and wonderful quotes:
page 26:
'Do you know what I love about the Irish?'
I shake my head.
'The way they don't seem to be after your money. Everyone else in the world is. But the Irish don't care. They just want to know everything about you instead. I love it.'
page 161: This seems to be Ireland's power. After about ten minutes, everyone feels like they belong here.
page 210: It's no coincidence that the style of writing know as stream of consciousness was pioneered by Irish authors. Critics have missed the point, however, in regarding it as a radical, experimental reaction against literary convention. For many Irish people, the avant-garde monologue is the most commonplace form of everyday speech; and a very liberating thing it is too. Like the best kind of journey, it's always liable to veer off in entirely unexpected directions and lead you to destinations you might never otherwise have considered.
page 232: There's a roundabout of such consummate ugliness on the Galway ring road that it would have been refused planning permission in New Jersey.
I've at last made it London (to Ealing, more exactly) to the wonderful hospitality of my cousin and her fiance. Tomorrow I see all the relatives. I am very happy to be here.
--------------------------------
Sunday, August 3rd at 12:35am
So this separation has been incredibly difficult for me. I have fallen in love with Donegal. The rest of Ireland is great, but the land and people of Donegal will forever hold a special place in my heart. I'm going to miss the craic, the free-flowing curses, football, properly poured Guinness, toast, and Irish Cadbury (especially when you split a twirl or other chocolate). I've met some all-star people who I hope to see in the future!
I spent eight hours today in Dublin airport after five hours on the bus from Falcarragh to Dublin (I left at 7:25am - 7:10am from the house). I sat next to a Polynesian woman on the bus who smelled like hand lotion and spoke with one of a contingent of twelve Texans. In the airport, I struck up a conversation with a Spanish girl (in Spanish, no less) so that I could leave my luggage for five minutes to use the little girl's room.
After finishing The Servant Leader last night, I began McCarthy's Bar (one of my wonderful gifts) today at the airport. By the time boarding began, I had read 210 out of 372 pages and I'm currently at page 259. Some accurate and wonderful quotes:
page 26:
'Do you know what I love about the Irish?'
I shake my head.
'The way they don't seem to be after your money. Everyone else in the world is. But the Irish don't care. They just want to know everything about you instead. I love it.'
page 161: This seems to be Ireland's power. After about ten minutes, everyone feels like they belong here.
page 210: It's no coincidence that the style of writing know as stream of consciousness was pioneered by Irish authors. Critics have missed the point, however, in regarding it as a radical, experimental reaction against literary convention. For many Irish people, the avant-garde monologue is the most commonplace form of everyday speech; and a very liberating thing it is too. Like the best kind of journey, it's always liable to veer off in entirely unexpected directions and lead you to destinations you might never otherwise have considered.
page 232: There's a roundabout of such consummate ugliness on the Galway ring road that it would have been refused planning permission in New Jersey.
I've at last made it London (to Ealing, more exactly) to the wonderful hospitality of my cousin and her fiance. Tomorrow I see all the relatives. I am very happy to be here.
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